


Dancing Through the Decades

by DaughterOfAthena_SisterOfArtemis



Category: The Witcher (TV)
Genre: Dancing, F/F, Fluff, Healing, Sodden
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-09
Updated: 2020-01-09
Packaged: 2021-02-22 17:28:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22187131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaughterOfAthena_SisterOfArtemis/pseuds/DaughterOfAthena_SisterOfArtemis
Summary: Who taught Yennefer to dance? And how does dancing bind her to Tissaia, decades after learning the skill?
Relationships: Tissaia de Vries/Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg
Comments: 44
Kudos: 267





	Dancing Through the Decades

**Author's Note:**

> English is not my mother tongue.  
> I do not own The Witcher.

#  **-Part 1-**

Shortly after turning half of her class into eels, Tissaia summoned Yennefer to her office. By getting the flower from Istredd she had proven herself to be able to manipulate people and that she could control her emotions long enough to do so. Now she had to learn a new skill essential to all court mages: dancing.

Tissaia usually had other people teach her girls to dance, but with Yennefer she was not sure that would have been the best course of action. The girl was easily aggravated and would need a strong hand to teach her this very important skill set.

A knock on her door drew her from her thoughts. "Come in."

Yennefer was wearing the usual dress all the girls wore at Aretuza, a pair of shoes dangling from her hand. Slowly, almost shyly, she entered the office. Tissaia was a bit shocked by that, as Yennefer had ceased to be shy after that night in the tower, catching lightning.

"Very good, do you know why you are here?", Tissaia asked her student. Yennefer's only answer was a small shrug. "Well then, these shoes you are carrying, they are special shoes for dancing. A mage at court, or as a matter of fact any person at court, needs to be able to dance properly. In our position as advising mages, it is one of the most important skills. It is a tool for us to seduce and by extension manipulate advisors at court, or, if we do our job well, the kings or queens themselves."

Was she detecting fear on Yennefer's face?

"Here?", the young woman asked, looking around the room.

"Of course not, Yennefer. We will go somewhere else for that." With those words she turned to her desk beside which her pair of shoes was waiting. Tissaia took them and led Yennefer out the door. "I don't imagine you have any experience with dancing?"

"No, as you probably already guessed", Yennefer replied like the ever-stubborn girl she was.

"Alright", Tissaia sighed. "This is going to be interesting then."

They arrived in front of a big double-winged door. "This is the ballroom you'll meet kings and queens in. This is where your future as a court mage will start someday." Tissaia lit the room using magic while Yennefer looked around. It was an impressive room with a beautiful floor. Tissaia let Yennefer have a few moments to herself before she told her to put on her pair of shoes.

"Why do I have to wear different shoes?", the young woman asked while fastening the shoes.

"For two reasons. The first is floor maintenance. Wipe that smirk off your face, Yennefer, you have no idea how hard it is to keep a wooden floor intact when people are dancing on it. Not all people in this world can afford a mage to keep it in good shape for them." Tissaia was already in her dancing shoes when she turned back to Yennefer.

"What's the second reason?", Yennefer inquired.

"These shoes are made for dancing. They will allow you a better control over your movements. That way the dance looks more elegant."

"We might as well just stop right here, then", Yennefer whispered to herself, but the utterance was not lost to Tissaia.

"Yennefer, when you ascend, you will get to choose how you look. And how you look will influence your range of movement. A straight spine will let you move more freely and once you've grown accustomed to it, you'll move very gracefully, at least if you pay attention to these dancing lessons."

Tissaia had wanted to sound scolding, but the look on Yennefer's face softened her words. _Poor girl,_ she thought. _If she doesn't believe in herself, how can I prepare her for what's to come?_

"Are you ready?", Tissaia asked her student.

"As ready as I'll ever be", answered the stubborn young woman.

"Good. Let's start with something easy. A slow waltz. I'll take the leading role, and you'll follow my movements. It's a rather slow rhythm, so it shouldn't be too difficult."

Tissaia stepped closer to Yennefer, took the young woman's right hand with her left one and settled her right hand just below Yennefer's shoulder blade. "Put your hand on my shoulder."

A short enchantment later and the room was filled with a slow melody to which Tissaia started moving the two of them. "It's all about being in sync with your partner and letting them lead you. Mirror their movements. Observe their figure. It is while dancing, that people tend to be more open, especially to seduction."

Yennefer was listening intently to her teacher's voice, which made her stumble over her own feet. "Fuck!"

"Language, Yennefer! It's a simple matter of letting others take control. I'll admit, it goes against everything we mages are trained to do, but by letting go of control, the other person will feel in control, and when people feel in control, they are easiest to manipulate."

She had to admit, teaching Yennefer was almost fun.

Yennefer slipped up again, this time stepping onto Tissaia's foot.

"Ouch, careful!" Tissaia let go of Yennefer to rub the upper side of her foot.

"Damnit, I just can't do it!", Yennefer exclaimed and walked a few places away, running her hand through her hair.

Tissaia took a moment to inspect her foot. It was just a small abrasion, nothing out of the ordinary while teaching someone to dance. She stepped closer to Yennefer and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Yennefer was still facing away from her, so she decided to just go on as if nothing had happened.

"Dancing is not something you'll learn in one evening. It will take quite a few lessons to master the different dances, which is why we started so early with the lessons. But, Yennefer, learning to dance requires trust. You have to let me be in control to learn, so that someday you'll be in control of a situation without being in control of the movement. Are you listening to what I'm saying?"

Yennefer nodded defeatedly. Slowly she let Tissaia turn her around. When her teacher took her hand again, she shortly looked down to see if she had injured Tissaia's foot. Of course, the rectoress noticed. "It's nothing, Yennefer. And it will undoubtedly happen again. Stepping on someone's foot, sometimes even your own, is natural when learning to dance. So stop worrying and start concentrating on the movements."

#  **-Part 2-**

"You still have so much left to give," Tissaia said to Yennefer. They regarded each other for a moment, then the rectoress got up and walked away, Yennefer looking after her.

 _I have nothing left to give,_ Yennefer thought to herself. She watched as Tissaia made her way to one of the fires, where a bard played some melody to which he sang. There she got herself another cup of that semi-awful ale. _If these are to be the last hours we get to enjoy, I want to make the best of it,_ Yennefer thought.

Slowly she got up and followed her former teacher to the fire. Without talking she took the cup from her and instead took Tissaia's right hand into her left one. For the first time, she would lead their dance. _May I have this dance,_ she asked through their telepathic link, smiling at the shorter woman.

Tissaia smiled at her like she had never before. It radiated a warmth that Yennefer had never felt before. _God, she's beautiful,_ she thought to herself.

 _Thank you,_ Tissaia's reply echoed through her mind. She felt her cheeks turning red. _And I'd love to dance with you, Yennefer,_ Tissaia answered her previous question.

That was all it took for Yennefer to get into position. She took the leading role and started to move them around the fire. All the way they were looking at each other, smiling, Tissaia following Yennefer's every move.

_You are right, we really should spend our last night on this continent having fun._

_And you consider dancing with me to be the most fun you could have tonight?_ Yennefer saw a smirk forming in her partner's face.

 _Well, the others here are rather dull._ Yennefer felt a small squeeze on her shoulder. _And I did always enjoy dancing with you, at least once I stopped stepping on both of our feet._ Both chuckled, thinking back to a time most of the people surrounding them were too young to remember.

 _I was under the impression that you rather hated it._ The bard's song ended, but to both of their surprise, the next song he played was also a slow waltz. Tissaia looked at him and gave him a small smile as thanks.

_I wanted to hate it, hate that you saw fit to teach me separately from the others. But really, after the first few lessons, when we started talking about other things than courts and dances, it became my favourite evening of the week._

The smile fell from Tissaia's face, and a second later Yennefer felt a tap on her shoulder. Vilgefortz had decided to interrupt them.

"Do you mind if I cut in?", he asked expectantly.

Before Yennefer could tell him to fuck off, Tissaia's voice drew Yennefer's attention to her partner. "Let us finish this dance, Vilgefortz. I'll come find you after."

Her firm voice left no room for debate, so Vilgefortz reluctantly made his way back to the men he had been talking to.

 _Save that anger for tomorrow, Yennefer,_ she told the taller woman while softly squeezing Yennefer's hand. Then she stopped their movement and let go of Yennefer's shoulder. _Follow me_.

 _Where are we going?_ Yennefer inquired. _Your tent?_ Some of her anger left her voice when she noticed them walking to the tents. _Really? You are taking me to the place you will spend the night having sex with Vilgefortz?_

 _Yennefer,_ it almost sounded like a threat. Then Tissaia led her past the tents, much to Yennefer's surprise. _He might be under the impression, but I have no intention of bedding him tonight. Or ever for that fact. Just because he courted me for weeks does not mean he will get his wish. I just - well, I used to be a court mage some hundred years ago. I know how to play the game, Yennefer. And I needed his support, so as soon as it became apparent that Nilfgaard was planning on attacking the North, I - led him to believe that I reciprocated such feelings._

 _Feelings,_ Yennefer scoffed. _I'd say he lusts after you, so I wouldn't necessarily call that feelings._

 _I was trying not to be crass, dear,_ Tissaia's voice sounded almost annoyed. Yennefer chose not to answer.

They walked for a few minutes without talking, still holding hands. Then they approached one of the ruins. A tree was directly next to what must have been an entrance once. _Well, isn't this nice and cosy_? Yennefer muttered sarcastically.

A whispered enchantment later and the room was filled with some slow melody and a fire was crackling in the middle of the ruin. _Cosy enough?_ Tissaia asked smugly.

As a response, Yennefer sharply pulled the shorter women back into a dancing stance. A surprised _oh_ left Tissaia's lips, then she was laughing openly. Yennefer felt her heart skip a beat, then it was racing. "Well then, what are you waiting for?" Tissaia was still smiling unguardedly at Yennefer.

It came to both of their surprise when Yennefer leaned down to kiss Tissaia, their lips meeting unexpectedly. It took Tissaia a moment, but then she relaxed against the taller woman's body.

#  **-Part 3-**

Tissaia was calling out for Yennefer. Again, and again. And again. There was no answer. She felt nauseous and so very weak from the poison; she had no strength left. And Yennefer was gone, probably consumed by chaos. Gone forever. Tissaia had no will to go on, the pain, both physical and mental, was overwhelming. She returned to the small unburned patch of grass where she had been when Yennefer had sent out her flames. There she lay down, too tired to keep her eyes open. The pain washed over her in waves.

\---

It was too cold and too hot all at once. She felt her body shaking. The air she breathed in reeked of sweat. The soft weight of a blanket made it impossible to move. She heard voices, familiar voices. Then her mind drifted off again.

\---

Fire. Flames. The smell of burned flesh. _Yennefer…_

\---

"Tissaia." … "Tissaia." … Slowly she opened her eyes. Sabrina, whose face was covered with bruises and grazes, and Triss, whose neck was badly burned, looked down at her. "How are you feeling", Triss asked her. She could feel the absence of her magic and she felt unbelievably weak. The worst thing was the coldness, even under the blanket.

Instead of answering, she asked a question of her own. "What happened? After Fringilla attacked me with dimeritium, I lost all contact. Y- Yennefer told me you needed my help before…." She just couldn't say it.

Sabrina and Triss told her all that had occurred at Sodden. When they spoke of the fire, a single tear rolled down Tissaia's cheek. "She really is gone, isn't she?" The other two mages were surprised by how small their former teachers voice sounded. It was hard to watch the usually stoic and in control rectoress lose all control.

"Who?", Sabrina asked tentatively.

"Yennefer", Tissaia sighed, trying to collect herself. It wouldn't do to break down before her former students. She could do that later when she was alone.

"What? No, she's here, Tissaia, she's in Aretuza." Sabrina exclaimed.

Tissaia's head snapped up, her lips slightly parted. "What? How?", she stuttered.

"Some Temerian soldiers found her. She was laying halfway in the river. Our best guess is that she needed to cool down and teleported there. She is currently in one of the guestrooms. Stregobor didn't want to let the soldiers bring her in, but Artorius of all people basically told him to fuck off."

"Language, Triss", Tissaia said out of habit. "Which room exactly? I need to see her." When she tried to get up, both of her former students protested vehemently.

"No, no, no. You absolutely can't get up. You were poisoned, and your body hasn't recovered yet. You are not going anywhere!", Sabrina scolded her.

"You don't understand! I need to see her. If you won't let me get up alone, then please help me!"

"I don't think _you_ understand", Triss argued. “When all of us were brought back here, you were barely alive. The poison had robbed you of your magic and all of your strength. You almost died. When the poison was drawn from your body, you had all the symptoms of a severe flu and you were burning up. Then you almost died again from the fever. After that, your body shut down and your temperature fell drastically. What you are feeling now isn't just the absence of magic, your body needs to recover. You need to drink and eat and heal. You are not getting up!" Triss looked long and hard into Tissaia's eyes.

"Stay in your room, Tissaia. I'll bring her here to you", Sabrina reasoned. "I can even conjure up a second bed."

"Alright. Please do so. But we won't need another bed." Triss and Sabrina exchanged a knowing glance.

\---

Sabrina teleported herself and Yennefer's unmoving form into Tissaia's room. Triss helped Tissaia move to make room on the bed, then Sabrina gently lay Yennefer down next to her.

"Thank you", Tissaia said without looking away from Yennefer.

"We'll come back with food in a bit." Triss and Sabrina quietly left the room.

Tissaia slowly reached out and tentatively took Yennefer's hand. She continued staring at the younger woman's face, until sleep claimed her.

#  **-Part 4-**

Yennefer looked down at her former teacher’s sleeping face. She looked exhausted, but more peaceful than she had ever seen her. The hand holding hers sometimes twitched, but Tissaia never let go, even in a sleep as deep as hers. The door was suddenly pushed open and Triss and Sabrina stepped into the room carrying food and water.

As soon as they spotted Yennefer, they gently put everything down on the desk at the other side of the room and hurried to Yennefer. _You are awake, finally,_ Triss' excited voice echoed in her mind. _We were worried sick!_ She gave Yennefer a quick sideways hug, before walking around the bed to check on Tissaia's temperature. Not as cold as before, she thought to herself. _Good_.

Sabrina was more hesitant. She slowly walked towards Yennefer, afraid of her reaction. Yennefer felt her fear and smiled gently at her. A small smile from Sabrina had all of them relax a bit more.

 _How is Tissaia?_ Yennefer asked the two of them. _She's so cold._

The two mages told her everything that had occurred since Sodden.

 _So she'll be fine?_ The worry in Yennefer's voice brought smiles to the faces of the other two mages. _The feelings are reciprocated then,_ they thought to themselves.

_Yes. It will take some time for her to get her strength back; Artorius thinks the dosage of the poison was very high. But she's as stubborn as she is strong._

After checking on Yennefer's wound, which was almost completely healed, the two left the room with the promise of returning in a few hours. Yennefer helped herself to some food and water when Tissaia's voice halted her movements.

"No food in my bed."

"You're awake!" Yennefer exclaimed and put the food back on the plate to turn her complete attention to Tissaia. Slowly Tissaia opened her eyes. They were out of focus for a moment, then she smiled at Yennefer.

"So are you", she answered in a whisper. Yennefer slowly leaned down, stopping shortly in front of Tissaia's face.

"May I?", she asked.

"When have you ever asked for my permission", Tissaia smiled and closed the gap between them.

\---

"If I have to stay in bed for one more minute, I'll blow my room up", Tissaia exclaimed exasperatedly.

Yennefer, who had been allowed out of bed for a few days now, chuckled at Tissaia's lack of patients. "You wouldn't, because then the chaos would drive you mad", Yennefer said, and the other two mages were quick to agree.

"Look, there is three of you and you are mostly fine by now. Surely you can let me at least walk around in my room with all of you guarding me."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?", Sabrina asked cautiously.

"Of course. Everything is better than staying in bed all day long." With those words she threw off the blanket and swung her legs over the edge of her bed. Then, slowly, she got up. Yennefer was close to her, making sure she wouldn't stumble. "See, easy!", Tissaia exclaimed before suddenly her legs gave out from under her. Yennefer caught her before she could hit the floor.

"Told you so", Sabrina said smugly. Triss, slightly afraid of Tissaia's wrath, dragged Sabrina out of the room. _Yennefer could handle it,_ she thought. _No need to get dragged into the discussion._

Yennefer straightened the both of them before gently guiding Tissaia's arms around her neck and putting her own arms around Tissaia's waist. "May I have this dance?"

"This is not exactly dancing, Yennefer", Tissaia complained.

"Humour me."

They swayed for a bit, until Yennefer felt Tissaia getting heavier in her arms. "Was that enough staying-out-of-bed for today? Or do you want to be your usual stubborn self?"

"You are calling me stubborn? That's rich, coming from you", Tissaia smiled. Then she put her head on Yennefer's shoulders. "Just a few minutes longer." She closed her eyes and just enjoyed the moment.

#  **-Part 5-**

A week later, the chapter held a ball in Aretuza to honour the dead mages and to celebrate the victory of Sodden. Everyone was aware that this would not be the last battle against Nilfgaard, but a celebration was just what was needed, the chapter had decided. All the kingdoms of the North had either send advisors from their courts or the kings and queens themselves had come.

"Do you remember my first lessons right in this room?", Yennefer whispered into Tissaia's ear from behind, having stepped behind her unnoticed.

Tissaia was taken off guard but kept her reaction in check. "Sneaking up on defenceless people is not nice, Yennefer", she scolded the taller woman.

"Defenceless? You magic might not be back fully, but you are far from defenceless, rectoress", Yennefer teased. Then she stepped around Tissaia and offered her hand. "May I have this dance? Vilgefortz is approaching."

Tissaia accepted the offered hand and let herself be led to the dancefloor. "You don't need to come up with a reason why I should dance with you. I'd also have accepted if you had just asked without making something up."

"You are losing your touch, rectoress." Yennefer whirled Tissaia around so she could see Vilgefortz watching them like a kicked puppy.

"Oh."

"Did the great Tissaia de Vries just say _Oh?_ What has the world come to?" Yennefer laughed at the small smack on her shoulder.

"Maybe I just don't need to be constantly on my guard anymore, dear." Tissaia's soft eyes found Yennefer's. Then, fully aware of what she was doing, she lifted her left hand to the younger woman's face and gently pulled her closer to draw her into a kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! :)


End file.
